WEST CHESTER — Billed with the theme of “unveiling the future,” the 31st annual Presidential Scholarship Community Gala at West Chester University carried the announcement of the university’s most ambitious fundraising effort to date.

On Saturday, University President Greg Weisenstein discussed the launch of a $50 million capital campaign known as “Becoming More,” with the several hundred guests in attendance.

“The Becoming More Campaign’s $50 million goal — including support for new and renovated facilities, program development, outreach, and scholarship and general endowment — will allow WCU to continue on its upward trajectory, ensuring that future generations of students have access to an outstanding and affordable education,” Weisenstein said.

The effort is led by the West Chester University Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees the university’s endowment. The campaign is expected to conclude by fall 2018, but kicked off this past weekend having already raised about $22 million including two of the school’s largest gifts ever, at $2.6 million and $1.49 million.

Advertisement

Foundation Executive Director Richard Przywara said the campaign has been in the “quiet phase” since 2010.

During this time, university officials met with interested parties who support the university and socialized to get their input on the proposed campaign.

“They have been sharing with us that they like the idea and if we launched they would invest in these efforts,” Przywara said.

According to university officials, the “Becoming More” campaign exceeds the last campaign which raised more than $35 million.

As of this week, Przywara said the foundation has received 19,000 donations since the campaign began.

Founded in 1871 as an institute for teacher preparation, the university serves 15,845 graduate and undergraduate students and is the largest school in the state system.

Under Weisenstein, the university completed a comprehensive strategic plan, establishing the university’s priorities over the next 10 years. The plan focuses on “assuring academic excellence, supporting student development, advancing inclusion, strengthening relationships with external stakeholders, and promoting the university’s sustainability as well as that of society, the economy and environment.”

“We conducted a feasibility study that told us there is that type of support out there,” Przywara said. “While it is a stretch and will require hard work by the trustees, people seem to be willing and supportive of those university needs.”

The university made headlines recently after legislation was proposed that would allow the university to leave the state system.

State Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19th of West Whiteland, and state Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, R-Bucks, announced SB 1275 earlier this month in Harrisburg. If passed, it would give schools in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education the ability to transfer out of the state system if they meet certain criteria.

The Foundation has since decided to bankroll a public relations firm to handle a campaign disseminating information on the bill.

Interested parties including students, faculty, administration and trustees have expressed mixed support of the bill.

Przywara said if a change should occur he doesn’t think the campaign would be affected and that donors would not harbor anxiety over the decision.

“The donors understand the need to teach,” Przywara said. “Donors are going to be there to support the education of students.”

The largest portion of the campaign’s funds, $11.8 million, will be used toward the annual fund supporting current operations and scholarships aimed to minimize tuition increases and the impact of declining support from the commonwealth.

Another priority identified in the plan includes a Business and Public Affairs Center at $6 million. The building will be a new home for the college of business and public affairs, whose programs include accounting, criminal justice, economics, finance, geography, management, marketing, political science and social work.

“It’s not suited for today’s programs and modern-day learning,” Przywara said of the current facility, pointing out it’s the last college on campus that does not have a modern facility.

The building has completed the design phase and is ready for construction. Przywara said he expects demolition on the site to be done this summer.

Another brick-and-mortar addition will be the expansion of the Health Science Building for $5 million. The expansion will be an addition to the existing building as the first phase of a $25 million expansion to provide space for health sciences teaching and research. Officials said the building will be on the radar about two to three years after the business center completion.

Other projects for the campaign include: facility improvements and renovations, $3 million; and program development and resources at $4 million.

The programs which will be improved are graduate programs and expansion of programs in the STEM fields.

According to the university, $700,000 will be used for community and cultural outreach while an additional $4 million will support academic and administrative equipment that include the latest resources and technology. Another $8 million will be used for new scholarship endowment and $7 million will be put into the general endowment to “help secure a permanent source of support for academic excellence and innovation,” according to the university.

About the Author

Jeremy Gerrard is the Daily Local News' reporter covering the West Chester area and local school district. Jeremy is a Chester County native and a graduate of Auburn University. Reach the author at jgerrard@dailylocal.com
.